When doing something hard, the hope is always that it leaves you better. Sometimes, that better is immediate — you know you’re different now after doing the thing. Other times it’s not so obvious. But with enough time and distance, we typically realize that completing the hard thing, however miserable at the time, transformed us into a new version of who we are, and one we tend to like more.
As I watched folks compete in and complete the first ever RCR | 313, it seemed to me that the former was mostly true. The smiles at the beginning, grimaces in the middle, and the return of a smile at the end told the story of immediate positive change through chosen discomfort. What’s more, and likely better, is knowing that people pushed their boundaries to do things beyond what they believed they could do before they took the step that started their race.
I witnessed it all as I stood midcourse, snapping pictures so that each person had documentation of their struggle, their triumph, and their transformation.
I’ll tell you what and who I saw. But first, a reminder of how the RCR | 313 works.
A Race Like No Other: The RCR | 313
Algonkian Regional Park made history. The administrators just don’t know that yet. There is no race in existence like the RCR | 313, and they were the first to host it.
Chris and I imagined the race a few years ago, and we’ve been waiting for the right time to have it. We wanted something different — not the usual, old 5K. And we wanted something that tested a person’s strength and endurance. So, we made it over double the distance of a 5K, and we added weight.
The RCR | 313 is done on an out-and-back course. During the first leg of the race, a participant runs 3 miles. At the end of the run, they return to the starting point and grab ruck plates for a 1-mile carry. When they finish the carry, they throw those plates in a backpack and ruck with them, out-and-back, for 3 more miles. Men use 25-pound plates for the carry and the ruck (50lbs total). Women use 20-pound plates (40lbs total).
At the end of the race, they’ve covered 7 miles that challenged their legs, their lungs, their grip, and their backs. There’s nothing else like it.
I stood at the half-mile mark. It gave me a unique perspective on how each stage of each event challenged each participant.
Smile, Grimace, Smile: Watching Transformation in Real Time
Transformation happens when you find a new part of yourself that gets you through something difficult. There are a lot of potential causes. It could be a deadline at work that you know will take you to the next level. It could be a difficult conversation with a loved one. It could be anything that surfaces the desire to mail it in or quit, anything that creates the environment in which you must decide not to let yourself down. I’ve been a coach for 20 years, and I can tell you that there are few things as powerful for sponsoring transformation as overcoming physical barriers to do something you didn’t think you could do. Watching it in real time at the RCR | 313 was beautiful.
We started the party at around 8 AM with the first heat. The sun was still low in the sky as it broke through the clouds above the golf course, backlighting the runners as they trotted by.
Lucas Croslow was the first to appear, a hint of a smile hiding behind his focus when I offered a few words of encouragement. The rest of the first heat soon followed after him. Then the second heat. And on it went until all 25 competitors ran past me. Most wore a smile. Others showed their exuberance with a wave or, in the case of Ben Star, a well-timed middle-finger.
That exuberance turned to focus as they passed me for the second time during the run. There were still plenty of smiles, but at 2 miles in, focus predominated. Then came the hard part.
I mentioned that I posted myself at the half-mile mark, which was the turning point for the farmers carry. Facial expressions took a near-universal shift from smiling focus to grit and grimace. Earlier in the race, Hannah Pantaleo, a coach at Noble Athletics, smiled and flexed as she ran by me for the second time. Her face and her posture told a different story as she approached the farmers carry turn. It was obvious that she was powering through some heavy discomfort. She went on to power through the rest of the race, putting up the second-fastest women’s time of the day and winning the women’s Under 150 Pounds division.
Everyone had the expression and posture of powering through when they approached again during the first leg of the ruck. At that point, they’d all run 3 miles, carried 1 mile, and rucked a half-mile. That’s four and a half miles of work, leading them into two and a half more. The carry fatigued their shoulders, and now at least 40 pounds hung in their packs as they strode past. The discomfort was palpable. There was a lot of sweat. There was a lot of determination. There was the beginning of a change.
The discomfort and the desire to push through accumulated into drive, forward toward the finish line. I didn’t get to witness folks finish that day, but editing all of the photos our hired photographer, Esteban Coloma, took gave me a look into the emotions racers felt as they approached and crossed the line. The smiles returned. Posture straightened again. I could see the pride of each person pushing through and becoming someone different on the other side of discomfort.
A cynic might look at the finish line pictures and say, “Well, they were just relieved it was over.” Hiding behind the face of each cynic is a deep well of fear that motivates them to reduce what others feel or accomplish. Of course, folks were relieved to finish. But it wasn’t only relief on their faces. It was knowing that they could have mailed it in but didn’t. And because they didn’t, they transformed into a new and better version of themselves.
The RCR | 313 Podium
There are six divisions in the RCR | 313: men’s under 200lbs, men’s over 200lbs, women’s under 150lbs, women’s over 150lbs. We awarded prizes — sweet RCR banners — to the top 3 finishers in each division.
Before I tell you who made the podium, I need to mention a promise I’ve made that I’ve yet to keep.
Earlier this year, in a string of email sign offs, I mentioned that I would kiss whoever beat Christ Merritt’s RCR time. Truth is, I didn’t think anyone could beat the little fella. Boy, was I ever wrong. Brad Pearson, the overall winner and the winner of the men’s over 200lbs class, beat Chris’s time by 5 minutes. Brad, whenever you’re ready, I will kiss your mouth.
RCR | 313 Women’s Under 150lbs Division
First Place: Hannah Pantaleo @ 1:24:52
Second Place: Dana Dawson @ 1:34: 48
Third Place: Megan Galata (Beyond Strength Member) @ 1:42:09
RCR | 313 Women’s Over 150lbs Division
First Place: Laura James @ 1:21: 48 (Overall Women’s Winner)
Second Place: Annie Croslow (Beyond Strength Member) @ 1:34:08
Third Place: Rosanne Moran @ 1:35:10
RCR | 313 Men’s Under 200lbs Division
Deepak Kashyap @ 1:10:28
Tyler Walters @ 1:16:34
Nathan Crain @ 1:18:04
RCR | 313 Men’s Over 200lbs Division
Brad Pearson (Beyond Strength Member) @ 1:05:10 (Overall Men’s Winner, Overall Winner)
Jason Lamprey @ 1:15:24
Lucas Croslow (Beyond Strength Member) @ 1:30:42
All of these times are impressive for covering 7 miles in such a unique way. Beyond the podium, the atmosphere was supportive, positive, and encouraging. Even as folks worked through their own discomfort, they pushed each other and cheered each other on. The community formed that day far outreached the podium.
Community Connection
A lot of business owners are defensive. They over-emphasize competition instead of collaboration. That wasn’t the case at the RCR. Two other Loudoun County gyms were well-represented among the competitors. And that was really cool to see.
The group of women from Noble Athletics who competed were awesome. Laura James happens to be one of Noble’s owners — making it even cooler that she came out. But the mission was spurred by Rosanne Moran, a member at Noble. She rallied Laura, Dana Dawson, and Hannah Pantaleo (a coach at Noble) to do the RCR | 313. Not only did they kick ass, they were supportive and contributed to the team atmosphere.
Ellen Carpe owns RowHouse Ashburn with her husband, Barry. They’re awesome folks. And their general manager, Jason Lamprey, is equally as awesome. They busted their asses, and were there to help others bust theirs. Suzanne Powell, a coach at RowHouse, also came and kicked ass. She laid it all on the line to finish while fellow RowHouse, and also Beyond Strength, member, Beth Bednarek, jumped back on the course to bring her in.
We were pumped to see other gyms come to the RCR | 313, encourage their members to come, and actually have the owners of the gyms there to compete. That’s the kind of event community we aim to build in Northern Virginia. No matter where you train, no matter if you own your own gym, come out and lay it on the line with us. We’ll all grow and be better for it. Loudoun County needs a gym community that supports each other. We hope you’ll help us build it.
Coming Up…
The inaugural RCR | 313 was incredible. Watching the transformations in real time, along with seeing super impressive numbers, made the years of planning and waiting worth it. And the additional start to a gym-event community was icing on the cake.
We have more coming in 2026! Some events are yet to be announced. However, we have opened the pre-sale list for the 2026 RCR | 313. By signing up for the pre-sale list, you raise your hand and say you’re interested in keeping up to date so that you know the registration details. You don’t commit yourself to anything. That’ll come… 🙂 So, if you haven’t already, sign up for the RCR pre-sale list at the link below. We’ll keep you posted on RCR updates.
GET ON THE 2026 PRE-SALE LIST HERE
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